Prosecutor in leak case seeks indictments against Rove, Libby, lawyers close to case

[patrick]

a glorious day

-

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Prosec...ents_1026.html

Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has asked the grand jury investigating the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson to indict Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, lawyers close to the investigation tell RAW STORY.

Fitzgerald has also asked the jury to indict Libby on a second charge: knowingly outing a covert operative, the lawyers said. They said the prosecutor believes that Libby violated a 1982 law that made it illegal to unmask an undercover CIA agent.

Libby’s attorney, Joseph A. Tate, did not return a call seeking comment.

Two other officials, who are not employees in the White House, are also expected to face indictments, the lawyers said.

The grand jury had not yet decided on whether to make indictments at the time this article was published. It appears more likely that the jury would hand down indictments of perjury and obstruction than a charge that Plame was outed illegally.

Those close to the investigation said Rove was offered a deal Tuesday to plead guilty to perjury for a reduced charge. Rove’s lawyer was told that Fitzgerald would drop an obstruction of justice charge if his client agreed not to contest allegations of perjury, they said.

Rove declined to plead guilty to the reduced charge, the sources said, indicating through his attorney Robert Luskin that he intended to fight the charges. A call placed to Luskin was not returned.

Those familiar with the case said that Libby did not inform Rove that Plame was covert. As a result, Rove may not be charged with a crime in leaking Plame’s identity, even though he spoke with reporters.

A Wall Street Journal report Wednesday suggests Fitzgerald's primary focus is Cheney's office. An L.A. Times story last week indicated that Libby mounted an "aggressive campaign" against Joseph Wilson, the husband of the outed CIA agent, who questioned the Administration's claims that Iraq sought to obtain uranium from Niger.

Richard Sale, a former UPI intelligence reporter, wrote on a blog Wednesday that two White House officials were likely to be indicted, citing federal law enforcement and senior intelligence officials. Sale was the first to finger Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin in the Israel-AIPAC espionage case.

Rove’s charges appear to stem from allegations that he lied to FBI investigators in 2003, the sources said. Perjury and obstruction charges leveled against Libby center around conflicting testimony to the grand jury, they added.

The lawyers said Fitzgerald needed more evidence to convince the grand jury that Plame was in fact an undercover agent. On Monday, he sent FBI agents to her residential neighborhood to obtain testimony from neighbors that they were unaware of Plame’s employment prior to her outing.

Evidence collected in these inquiries was aimed at convincing the jury that she was covert, the lawyers said. A Reuters story indicated that Plame’s neighbors were not aware that she was working at the agency.

Any indictments are expected to be handed down today or Thursday. It is unclear how much information Fitzgerald will make public when they are announced.

Added in revision: "The grand jury had not yet decided on whether to make indictments at the time this article was published. It appears more likely that the jury would hand down indictments of perjury and obstruction than a charge that Plame was outed illegally. "

[sppunk]

Not so much:

Grand Jury in CIA Leak Case Adjourns
URGENT
wp496-acyc5
WASHINGTON-The federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA officer's identity met for three hours Wednesday with Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald and adjourned for the day without announcing any action.

There was no word on whether Fitzgerald planned to make any announcement or whether the grand jury planned to meet again.

[patrick]

yeah, it hasn't been made completely official

but it's confirmed

[Corganist]

Originally posted by patrick
yeah, it hasn't been made completely official

but it's confirmed

If by "confirmed" you mean "rumored," than you're right. I see nothing in the article you posted that "confirms" anything. My unnamed sources close to the investigation say that the unnamed sources named in your article are full of crap. Maybe you should wait and see what actually comes down the pipe here in the next day or two before the celebration begins. (Or, alternately, go ahead and celebrate now while you still want to. )

[patrick]

Originally posted by Corganist

If by "confirmed" you mean "rumored," than you're right. I see nothing in the article you posted that "confirms" anything. My unnamed sources close to the investigation say that the unnamed sources named in your article are full of crap. Maybe you should wait and see what actually comes down the pipe here in the next day or two before the celebration begins. (Or, alternately, go ahead and celebrate now while you still want to. )

that's the kind of talk of someone's who is in his death throes

[patrick]

and for the record, rawstory.com's sources have yet to ever fail them

[Nimrod's Son]

Look at hat the sources confirmed: the prosecutor asked ofr an indictment, which at the GJ level is usually a cakewalk.. and he hasn't gotten one yet.

[Future Boy]

You can indict a ham sandwhich!

[Corganist]

Originally posted by patrick
that's the kind of talk of someone's who is in his death throes

Nah. I won't be losing any sleep over any of this stuff. I'm just worried about all these democrats who are so getting so worked up and giddy over the whole deal. I don't think most on the right will be surprised however things come out...but man, I shudder to think how disappointed liberals will be if their hopes end up to be only that.

[patrick]

Originally posted by Corganist

Nah. I won't be losing any sleep over any of this stuff. I'm just worried about all these democrats who are so getting so worked up and giddy over the whole deal. I don't think most on the right will be surprised however things come out...but man, I shudder to think how disappointed liberals will be if their hopes end up to be only that.

i don't see why the left's pre-emptive reaction to anything, no matter what the outcome is, would make you "worried" or "shudder"

[Corganist]

Originally posted by patrick
i don't see why the left's pre-emptive reaction to anything, no matter what the outcome is, would make you "worried" or "shudder"

Because I care for the left's feelings, and I do not want them to suffer disappointment or pain. What's so wrong with that?

[Illinois]

It's too bad they would have to get them on perjury and obstruction of justice though. Would have been more scandalicious if they got them on the actual crime, leaking the name of a CIA covert.

[wally]

Originally posted by Illinois
It's too bad they would have to get them on perjury and obstruction of justice though. Would have been more scandalicious if they got them on the actual crime, leaking the name of a CIA covert.

Kind of like that Whitewater scandal. I'm glad Ken Starr avoided any scandal by getting Clinton on that pesky perjury charge.

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally posted by Illinois
It's too bad they would have to get them on perjury and obstruction of justice though. Would have been more scandalicious if they got them on the actual crime, leaking the name of a CIA covert.

Maybe he didn't commit that crime!

[Illinois]

So Libby is officialy indicted.

I hope they bust Rove next just to see how the administration handles itself without Rove. Think about it. The Miers debacle probably wouldn't have happened if Rove wasn't busy with his own problems enough to suggest a better nominee to satiate Bush's far right crowd.

[sppunk]

Here's the actual indictment (22 pages long)

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1028051plame1.html

[Nimrod's Son]

As for the main source of the "Rove indictments coming!"?

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001037.html

October 27, 2005
Retraction: Sources on Office Expansion Wrong

Part of the process of reporting is doing the best one can do to source information, and seek double confirmation regarding stuff we post.

The source of mine in the real estate brokerage arena has called to retract information shared with me that the Office of the Special Counsel was expanding into 1401 New York Avenue. He states that "he just got it wrong."

In addition, the second source -- in the building -- says that he had a miscommunication with someone about this.

This was a flop. I believe in telling what I hear -- on both sides -- whether TWN got it right or wrong.

And in this case it was wrong.

On other fronts, thus far I am standing with what I posted the other day about the mult-point run-down of what Fitzgerald was doing. While he hasn't called a press conference today, which was told to me, there seems to be some likelihood that the other pieces have occurred.

I am not an expert on idictment process, but I did speak to someone who is such an expert today. As I have been informed, the Special Prosecutor can ask the grand jury to issue an indictment. That indictment request is filed with the judge in a case. If a request is made to "seal" the indictment -- it shrouds everything, and keeps the process secret.

Thus, indictments may have been filed yesterday -- and some are reporting that they were. Letters -- according to my sources -- were received by Tuesday by all indictment targets.

I am still a bit confused by the on-off information on the office space -- but I have to step back from this retracted information. If, however, Fitzgerald was expanding office space in Washington (he has office space at 1400 New York Avenue), that expansion could serve either an extension of the investigation -- or prosecution.

But for the time being, that is a dead end. Not fun.

-- Steve Clemons
Posted by steve at October 27, 2005 03:09 PM

[Illinois]

Seriously I hope they find Libby guilty and hang him in the public square. I hope Dick Cheney gets overcome with guilt and jumps off a 20th story window.

[Nimrod's Son]

"I am not making any allegation that Mr. Libby knowingly outed a covert operative."

- Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald, just now

[Debaser]

"Mr. Libby lied his ass off like a muthafucka to the FBI and the grand jury."

- Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald, just now

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally posted by Debaser
"Mr. Libby lied his ass off like a muthafucka to the FBI and the grand jury."

- Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald, just now

I'm fairly certain you're making that up because your Rove witch hunt hit a dead end.

[homechicago]

I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

On August 17, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before a Federal grand jury of the United States. Contrary to that oath, William Jefferson Clinton willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony to the grand jury concerning one or more of the following: (1) the nature and details of his relationship with a subordinate Government employee; (2) prior perjurious, false and misleading testimony he gave in a Federal civil rights action brought against him; (3) prior false and misleading statements he allowed his attorney to make to a Federal judge in that civil rights action; and (4) his corrupt efforts to influence the testimony of witnesses and to impede the discovery of evidence in that civil rights action.

sucks when karma finds you....i feel a little sorry for social conservatives in the republican party (of which i would be one if they hadn't made government even bigger and spent more than any president) who have been beaten into submission to obey these hypocritical, corrupt people.

[Corganist]

Originally posted by homechicago
sucks when karma finds you....i feel a little sorry for social conservatives in the republican party (of which i would be one if they hadn't made government even bigger and spent more than any president) who have been beaten into submission to obey these hypocritical, corrupt people.

Who's beating people into submission to obey Scooter Libby? If he did what he's accused of, then it was a stupid and illegal thing to do and he'll get what's coming to him...but I don't see one man's stupidity being inidcative of some kind of widespread corruption.

And I don't see how Karma applies at all. In the scheme of things, this is a tempest in a teapot. I mean honestly, who cared about Scooter Libby before this Plame business anyway? At best, the guy's a medium fish...if that. If Libby is convicted, then he and Clinton will both be disgraced liars and crooks....that's about as much of a connection as you can make between the two. I really don't think that karma is raining down on the GOP, and if it is...well, I'll trade a corrupt White House staffer for a perjury charge on a lying President any day of the week.

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally posted by homechicago
Kay Bailey Hutchinson

No no! You can't invoke Hutchinson! Her prosecutor is beyond reproach!

[sppunk]

Originally posted by Corganist
I'll trade a corrupt White House staffer for a perjury charge on a lying President any day of the week.

Not when the presidential lies were personal business and the staffer's lies were a matter of national security (admitted by the grand jury, Fitzgerald and Libby himself in testimony).

[Debaser]

Originally posted by Nimrod's Son

No no! You can't invoke Hutchinson! Her prosecutor is beyond reproach!

that neither works as a joke nor political commentary. wtf.

The same woman who just spoke about perjury being just a "technicality" and the investigation is a waste of time and money if they indictment is on such a crime is the same woman that voted to impeach Clinton on the same "technicality".

hutchinson, 2005
"I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars."

hutchinson, 1999
"Something needs to be said that is a clear message that our rule of law is intact and the standards for perjury and obstruction of justice are not gray. And I think it is most important that we make that statement and that it be on the record for history.

I very much worry that with the evidence that we have seen that grand juries across America are going to start asking questions about what is obstruction of justice, what is perjury. And I don’t want there to be any lessening of the standard. Because our system of criminal justice depends on people telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. That is the lynch pin of our criminal justice system and I don’t want it to be faded in any way."

Holy christ what a fucking hypocrite.

But oh yeah, she was prosecuted by the same guy prosecuting Delay so lets make a reference to that! It's hilarious how you just throw your right wing rhetoric out there whether it is relevant or not.

[Corganist]

Originally posted by sppunk
Not when the presidential lies were personal business and the staffer's lies were a matter of national security (admitted by the grand jury, Fitzgerald and Libby himself in testimony).

There's no such thing as unimportant testimony under oath. "Personal business" is the same thing as court business when you're on the witness stand.

I find it hilarious how Dems care about perjury all the sudden, but have to qualify with ridiculous classifications of it so they can continue worshipping their hero with a clear conscience. I doubt you'll see Republicans defending Libby with such half-cocked theories if he gets found guilty.

[Debaser]

Originally posted by Corganist
I doubt you'll see Republicans defending Libby with such half-cocked theories if he gets found guilty.

"I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars." -Kate Baily Hutchinson, R-TX

[Debaser]

Originally posted by Corganist
I find it hilarious how Dems care about perjury all the sudden, but have to qualify with ridiculous classifications of it so they can continue worshipping their hero with a clear conscience.

the difference is the underlying crime (or non-crime):

Libby perjured (crime) himself over the outing of a covert CIA operative (crime).

Bubba perjured (crime, aquitted) himselft over getting head (not a crime).

[Corganist]

Originally posted by Debaser


the difference is the underlying crime (or non-crime):

Libby perjured (crime) himself over the outing of a covert CIA operative (crime).

Bubba perjured (crime, aquitted) himselft over getting head (not a crime).

Perjury is a crime without context. As far as we know, there was no crime committed in either case. Both guys just lied. Stop being relativistic and pretending that a lie is not a lie when your guy does it.